Tanner Pearson had a theory.
He watched the St. Louis Blues tie a crucial game in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs against his Vancouver Canucks with six seconds remaining in regulation. Under normal circumstances, this would have been emotionally crushing for a young road team, as the Blues would have ridden an emotional wave from their home fans into overtime. But these were not normal circumstances: The stands were empty, as COVID-19 forced the NHL to restart its season without fans in the stands. In the Edmonton, Alberta, bubble, the only cheers were from players on the St.